Best Places To Buy Luggage In Tampa Bay

Luggage is the one thing we all have to have if we're going to spend any time away from home for work or pleasure. These days, the "big box" stores may seem like the only places to shop for a new valise or travel bag. If you're tired of the big box shopping experience, we've found some places to find luggage that might surprise you and offer you a chance to get a good price.

Luggage Service, Inc.
4121 N. Nebraska Ave.
Tampa, FL 33610
(813) 236-5946
www.luggageservice.com

Located in north Tampa just east of Interstate 275 and north of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Luggage Service, Inc. offers bargain prices on new luggage while also offering in- or out-of-warranty repairs. Sometimes repairs can be far less expensive than a new set of luggage. Pinellas county residents don't have to feel left out since Luggage Service offers a low-cost pick-up and delivery service.

Jsk Luggage
2280 Tyrone Square Mall, Suite 930
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
(800) 617-8834
www.jskluggage.com

St. Petersburg's Tyrone Square Mall has been a destination spot for Pinellas County shoppers for decades. Conveinetly located inside of Pinellas County's most conveniently located shopping spots, Jsk Luggage is a specialty store that stocks all the major luggage brands and associated travel accessories. A boutique-type store with a staff dedicated to selling nothing but luggage and travel accessories is bound to offer a different shopping experience than a store where luggage is just another commodity.

Eddie's Luggage And Repair Service
4515 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 921-3050

For Sarasota residents, there's a small shop on the Tamiami Trail where you can find all the major brands of luggage in stock. However, if you're especially fond of your slightly-worse-for-wear luggage, it might be more cost effective to have it fixed. Eddie offers expert repairs along with new luggage at competitive prices. At Eddie's, you can fix it or replace it.

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Friends And Neighbors Thrift Store
16510 N. Florida Ave.
Lutz, FL 33549
(813) 714-6666
www.facebook.com/FriendsAndNeighborsThriftStore

If the budget is just too tight or you just don't want to pay full retail price for new luggage, why not go the second-hand route? Located just south of the U.S. 41/Business 41 split in Lutz, Friends and Neighbors Thrift Store is a great place to look for used, but serviceable luggage. As with any thrift or consignment store, availability is always unpredictable, so if you see something you like, you better go ahead and buy it. Of course, the prices are probably going to be low enough that parting with a few dollars for a perfectly good item should be easy.

Tampa International Airport
4100 George J. Bean Outbound Parkway
Tampa, FL 33607
(813) 870-8700
www.tampaairport.com

Why would an airport be on a list of places to shop for luggage? Well, Tampa International Airport serves a lot of travelers every year and some of those travelers leave things behind. In fact, enough stuff (including suitcases) get left behind that the "Lost and Found" department holds auctions at various times of the year to clear out its warehouse. TIA's Communication Manager Christine Osborn says there's a potential bonus for anyone who buys a suitcase. "Suitcases are sold along with whatever is inside them!" She hastens to add that any items that might compromise someone's identity are removed. The auctions are held as needed, but they're publicized in the local media. If you're not in a hurry and willing to wait for your chance to pick up a bargain, you might want to check out one of the airport's auction.

Mike Hennessy is a veteran news man who has won Florida AP awards for feature reporting and covered almost every kind of story imaginable from on-the-scene coverage of Hurricane Andrew, to some of the highest profile murder and corruption trials in Florida history. Mike is versatile and has the curiosity it takes to get to the bottom line of any story. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

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